How does active voice differ from passive voice?

Active voice is characterized by structuring sentences so that the subject performs the action of the verb. This focus on the doer of the action brings clarity and energy to the writing. For instance, in the sentence "The dog chased the cat," "the dog" is clearly the subject performing the action, making the sentence direct and vigorous.

This contrasts with passive voice, where the action is performed on the subject, leading to constructions like "The cat was chased by the dog." In this case, the emphasis shifts away from the doer (the dog) to the receiver of the action (the cat), which can sometimes make sentences feel less immediate and vigorous.

While some writing styles may favor passive voice for certain contexts, particularly in formal or academic writing, it's not considered superior across all cases. Each voice serves different purposes depending on the desired clarity, style, and impact of the text. Therefore, the distinction between active and passive voice lies primarily in where the emphasis is placed in the sentence: on the doer of the action or the recipient of the action.